The Source, farm and fibre.

Often, in my busy life, I loose touch with my beginnings and why I started working with fibre in the first place.  Our annual Back to Back International Wool Challenge, brings me back to working with fibre in the raw state, just off the sheep and smelling so heavenly barnny.  It also brings me once again into the company of other fibre enthusists and other farmers growing fibre animals. 

On June 5th, our B2B Team Sheep Thrills, gathered at Gaspereau Valley Fibres for a fun filled day of shearing, spinning and knitting.  Teams from around the world compete each year in this challenge and funds are raised for Cancer Research.  Our team beat our own record by over an hour, we are nowhere near beating the Canadian record nor the International record, but we are all winners for such a great cause. 

Photo: Sheep Thrills Team

 I love working with these women, and meeting so many friends, both old and new.  I love getting

 that  wonderful feeling of belonging to a society with respect for our natural world, and the

 creatures that depend on us and on whom we depend on.

Once back into raw fibre, I decided that it was time to sort my wool crop.  I picked out fleeces for the mill at MacAuslands, choice fleeces to sell to other spinners and my favorite ones for me to use for my own handspun and felting projects.  As one thing leads to another, I also cleaned out the lambing pens and hay storage areas in the barn to prepare and make room for this years hay crop.

                                                                                                                                                                                              

 Photo of my youngest grandchild, Keith enjoying the late day sun and newly dyed wool.

I spent the rest of the week getting ready for the Wolfville Farmers' Market, which I have started

attending again as a vendor.  I was missing the one on one contact with people that I have always

enjoyed.  I rarely go out without meeting someone new and saying to myself, that was an interesting

person, I am glad I met them.

This week I am back to prepareing for Denmark.  I am sure that when I have been there and return,                            

I will say "That was an interesting Country, I am glad I went there."         

Marilyn Rand

Working Along

Today marks the six week countdown for all work to be finished to ship to Denmark.  My focus will be to do about twenty pieces and choose my favorite from that work to send.
The last few days I have been fusing silk in both sculpture and hanging art.

My exchange for Denmark will involve taking as much of my home, community and province with me as I am able through my work.   From my living room window I look out upon the shores of Minas.  When the tide is in, it is beautiful blues against the clay banks and dyke grasses.  When the tide is out I see miles of marshy mud and smell the musty odor of briny ocean.  These are the things I miss when I leave my home.

Today I worked on a canvas of silk fusion, and now have the background layers done. This was done directly from the view from my window.  I will continue to work on this piece alternately with others, to try to catch the essence of the almost full tide.  Of necessity it will be done an hour later every day until I loose the lights with the shifting of the tide.

Another piece is sculptured silk influenced by the tangle of Boston Ivy growing on the side of my house.   Ivy is my favorite of all plant life.  The layers developing over the years and the intersections and paths followed by the vines, bring to mind the relationships over years of people and the paths and connections made by us.

Like everything else the Ivy is just coming into leaf, new beginnings, re-awakenings and rebirth that is spring.



Our group Seven is like spring, eternally evolving, renewing and exciting me on to bigger pursuits.
Marilyn Rand, The senior of SEVEN,  Lambs Run Farm...